Expert thought

All this past year the CEMES foundation worked on a scholarly project, which examined the Ukrainian crisis from a theological, historical and canonical perspective, always in relation to the triptych: Primacy-Conciliarity-Autocephaly.

The Church of Greece came close to formalizing legal relations with the OCU. The couple has already tried to live together, household claims have not arisen, and now, finally, they are preparing to get a stamp in the passport.

Religious Studies

In the context of recent events in the Orthodox world, disputes over the boundaries of church institutions often arise between the Patriarchate of Constantinople, Kyiv and Moscow. Ukraine accuses Russia of misappropriating the territory of the Kyiv Metropolis. In its turn, Moscow appeals to the fact that the ancient Kyiv Metropolis differs from the territory of modern Ukraine. RISU decided to clarify this topic, getting advice from historians. Based on this research, we prepared an infographic.

The first question that arises concerning Ukraine is this: with what right and based on which holy canons, does Russia today claim the ecclesiastical and administrative dependency of the Metropolis of Kyiv?

Calendar

New constitution draft poses a threat to the traditional family, Patriarch UGCC says

On July 16,Head of the UGCC Sviatoslav (Shevchuk) sent a letter to the Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament, Chair of Constitutional Commission Volodymyr Groisman regarding the changes to the Constitution of Ukraine.

The hierarch noted that the developers of the main state document rejected all warnings made by representatives of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (AUCCRO),thus opening the way for the legalization of gay marriage, which is unacceptable for the reasons of moral health.

We post the full text of the letter by the UGCC Patriarch:

“Your Excellency Vlolodymyr Borysovych!

I refer tothe important case of amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine. Once we have received the final version of the draft chapter II, prepared by the Constitutional Commission’sWorking Group on Human Rights. Unfortunately, almost all the proposals of amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine, which the AUCCROset out in its letter of 12.06.2015 and presented them in the working sessions of the Working Group, were rejected.

Instead of the proposals agreed bythe religious community, associated in the AUCCRO, which represents over 95 percent of Ukrainian believers,the essentially opposite proposals to the new Constitution of Ukraine made by individual members of the Commission were taken into consideration.

These statements primarily include serious threats to the family institution in Ukraine, to the marriage relationship as a union of man and woman, which istraditional in Ukrainian society, and form the basis for legalization of same-sex partnershipsthat are unacceptable for the reasons of moral health and natural development of society (Article 27 and 35 of the draft law). These proposals threaten to push the Ukrainian State into the abyss of sinful immorality, destruction of the family as the basic institution of society and popularization of relations between persons of the same sex that are unnatural for human beings.

Justification of such dubious offers with references to European experience is irrelevant, because the European Union has opposing views on the issue of anti-discrimination legislation, marriage and family, legal opportunities for sexual minorities. In particular, Poland, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, as members of the European Union demonstrate their commitment to the traditional family and moral values, having bannedsame-sex partnerships including in the text of the Constitutionin some countries.

The same applies to other articles, the wording of which was discussed in the above letter. In particular, the draft article on freedom of thought, conscience and religion retains the provision of separation of school and church, thus ignoring almost all the proposals of the AUCCROregarding the constitutional regulation of social relations in the triangle of the state, churches and religious organizations, and civil society.

Given the above, I stress once again the need to incorporate in one way or another the identity principles and the principles of human relations that are traditional for Ukrainian citizens, as outlined in the proposals of amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine made by the AUCCRO, the text of which is also attached to this letter.